Tis the time of the year when thoughts turn to statistics and strategy. Yes, fantasy football is back and if you're a football fan who has never played, you're missing some real fun.

What does fantasy football have to do with IT or business? Well, nothing, but there is a gold nugget of management leadership in there if you look hard enough.

In the last two years I've run fantasy leagues for baseball, football and basketball. When you run a league you're referred to as the commissioner or commish for short. The commish takes care of setting up the league, developing the rules, pinpointing the scoring, coordinating the draft, receiving the money if it's a pay league and generally making sure your league runs well.

It takes a ton of time.

An inordinate amount of time.

Usually, it's done without much thanks and the only people who do offer to do it are people who tend to be natural leaders.

Now do you see the connection?

If you're the type of person that steps up when there is a vacuum of leadership, you'll find yourself a commish.

If you're the type of person that works to make sure a group meets a common goal without looking for personal glory, you'll find yourself a commish.

This year when the talk of fantasy football became the topic of the day, I ignored it. I made the decision to step back and let things roll out as they would. And in that vacuum others stepped up and things have moved more or less forward.

And that's an important concept for those of us in IT management. Even though you may be the person leading your team or organization, sometimes consciously you have to step back and let others fill that vacuum of leadership. It allows others to take the helm and stretch their leadership legs.

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